New York Democrats claim GOP backing off nonpartisan promise

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state’s Democrats accuse Republicans of backing off their promise to put politics aside when new election districts are drawn now that the GOP will hold the pen.

Republicans who will take majority control of the Senate in January deny they have turned their backs on the reform pledge that helped them win in November. Instead, they said recent public comments simply reflect the priority to address more pressing issues, including creating jobs.

Democrats cited Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos’ published remarks to Newsday’s editorial board about redistricting, the most valuable prize in winning the majority.

“If there is a way that we can fashion a nonpartisan thing and I’m going to discuss that with the speaker and the governor, I wouldn’t mind doing that,” Skelos told Newsday. “Can you take politics out of it a hundred percent, I don’t think that will occur. But I think there’s a way you can do it better and that’s what we’ll look at.”

Redistricting has traditionally been used by the majority parties to protect their incumbents by creating districts dominated by voters enrolled in the majority’s party. The districts are set for 10 years, until the next Census.

In Albany, the majority controls legislation and spending and has traditionally returned more money for pet projects in districts represented by a majority legislator. “Senate Republicans are already making it clear they will not keep their pledge to reform state government through nonpartisan redistricting,” said Senate Democratic leader John Sampson of Brooklyn.

Skelos spokesman Mark Hansen said there is no change in the Republicans’ support of independent redistricting since signing former New York City Mayor Ed Koch’s “New York Uprising” reform pledge. Every Republican signed that pledge during the campaign, but it took several weeks for most Democrats, including Sampson, to agree to the former Democratic mayor’s reforms.

“This is much ado about nothing,” Hansen said Wednesday. “Since the final census numbers won’t be released until April, our immediate priorities are working with the governor-elect to balance the budget, cut spending and taxes, and help the private sector create jobs for workers who need them.”

Redistricting begins in early 2011. Republicans will have a 32-30 seat majority after two years of Democratic rule. The issue is the source of more tension between the two parties that fought several close elections for weeks and spent the past two years in bitter partisanship.